Wednesday, 23 June 2010

With more than 200 companies active in the life sciences sector and almost 40,000 employees, Belgium’s dynamism in the biotechnology and the pharmaceutical sectors is unquestionable. As regards Brussels, it boasts 49 companies active in R&D, production and services in the biopharma sector.

 Of these 49 companies, 18 specialise in biotechnology, mainly in the area of health but also the environment, while 14 specialise in pharmaceutics and 17 provide expertise and services for companies in the pharma and biotech sectors. The scope of activities of Brussels-based companies in this area is wide-ranging: development of therapeutic molecules, diagnostics, screening, clinical research services and expertise in (bio)processing and contract production. New companies are being set up every year, often academic spin-offs. The most recent examples include ClinEuroDiag, which specialises in molecular diagnostics, the analysis of genetic signatures and the isolation of new genetic markers, as well as Ovizio, a company specialising in imaging systems which has developed DHM (Digital Holographic Microscopy) technology. In addition to companies, the Brussels-Capital Region has 3 universities, ULB (Université libre de Bruxelles), UCL (Université catholique de Louvain) and VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), as well as the Higher Education Institution Lucia De Brouckère. The Region also promotes and contributes to the establishment of start-ups thanks in particular to 4 incubators: BLSI, EEBIC, Eurobiotec and Solvay Research &Technology Center. Finally, support organisations active in the Brussels Region assist companies by providing financial support and business development assistance, in particular the BEA, the IRSIB, the SRIB, Brussels Export, etc. The new “BioPharma in Brussels brochure 2010”, which contains profiles of all these stakeholders, is available on request from the Health Cluster of the BEA in paper version, or in pdf version on its site.

See the new brochure here .